Nike Air Mag Sneakers
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Nike Air Mag Sneakers
Getting your own pair of those famous auto-lace shoes no longer looked like a pipe dream -- now that they hit the mainstream, what's the future of the Air Mag?
Marty McFly Shoes...in 2011?
4 years earlier than predicted!
Of all the cool movie props, especially those seen the Back to the Future II - arguably the best of the trilogy, you'd go with the hoverboard or the self-lacing Nike Air Mag shoes that Marty put on. Unfortunately, we're far away from mastering anti-gravity technology, especially for commercial use (like a kid's scooter...), but it looks like those shoes are becoming anything but fictitious.In 2010, a patent diagram was discovered, filed by Nike, which showed the concept for the very same self-lacing Air Mag sneaker seen on Back to the Future II. From the looks of the diagram, it appears as though a single push of a side button triggers a series of events, where a top strap and central shoe lace area closes together.
"Power laces...alright!"
The "McFly's Closet" Video and Nike Announcement
Further evidence that the shoes were coming
On September 7, 2011, Nike sent out exclusive invites to a Hollywood announcement that was themed with Back to the Future merchandise, including a box with replica steel glasses worn by Doc Brown, a retro 1985 bottle of Pepsi, a handful of 80s-era candy, a copy of Back to the Future on DVD and an iPod Nano with a message from Doc Brown. The announcement was stated to take place the day later on the 8th.
Watch the Original "McFly's Closet" Video
Observations of the Air Mags from the Video
- Glowing cyan "Nike" emblems on the front straps and sole panels. Could this be real LED illumination? If so, what kind of power source would Nike use?
- Illuminated "power strip" quarter panels that light from yellow to red. Notice how some of them have all 3 bars illuminated, while others only have the bottom red bar showing a blinking pattern...much like a battery power indicator
Differences With the Movie Version Air Mags
How the shoe might function differently
- Marty simply puts the sneakers on and they activate, but the Nike patent shows the need for a side button to be pushed.
- Marty's sneakers are more of a slate or light gray color, whereas the Air Mags in the video are darker gray.
- Marty's shoes "light up" in appropriate areas only when the shoe is on and activated. The Air Mag sneakers in the video are already activated (perhaps that was done just to show off what they look like).
So...What Happened with the Nike Mag?
Sorry, sneaker fans - looks like the Nike Mag was nothing more than a limited edition, "more than you can afford" item that was created solely for charity. Not as though that's a bad thing...it just simply means that you won't have one.
Starting at a minimum $2,600 bid, the 2011 Nike Mag sneakers went up on eBay and all net proceeds went directly to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Watch the official promo video below, and you may get tipped off about the "auto lace" version not coming out until 2015. Is this a joke, or for real? Who knows.
Got Comments?
What are your thoughts on Nike finally bringing this beloved movie prop to life? Will it sell? Will you get a pair? Most importantly, how much could they possibly cost?!
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jksterling
Oct 22, 2011 @ 9:38 pm | delete
- My boys wear some that are very similar. Thanks for the lens.
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lakeerieartists Sep 9, 2011 @ 8:10 am | delete
- Just awesome. Who knew?
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by Pixelrage
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